And they can also keep other pests away such as aphids, cochineals and caterpillars. The best part is that they’re natural and smell much better than bug spray!

These plants repel insects due to the essential oils present in them, which happen to be what give them their pleasant odor.

In other words, having rosemary or lavender planted in your garden will significantly reduce the appearance of these unwanted insects.

In today’s video we’re going to show you some of the best plants to keep insects and pests away from our homes and gardens.

Basil Basil is great at repelling mosquitoes and flies, and since it does best in direct sunlight, it should be placed near doors or windows. Furthermore, you can use it as a seasoning due to its delicious fragrance.

Marigolds You’ve probably seen these bright yellow flowers decorating gardens before, but you may not have known that they can repel insects. Just like basil, marigolds also emit a pleasant smell that scares off bugs.

Catnip While catnip may attract cats, it keeps mosquitoes away. A study has even shown that it’s 10x more potent than most store-bought repellents.

Rosemary We’ve already talked about rosemary oil’s health benefits on this channel, but its fragrance is also able to keep mosquitoes and other flying insects away.

Just like basil, rosemary is also a great seasoning, which gives you another reason to have it around.

Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemums contain pyrethrin, a natural insecticide. This substance repels mosquitoes and other insects such as cockroaches, beetles and flies. You can also use this plant to avoid getting bug bites by rubbing the leaves on your skin.

Geranium One of the most common plants used to repel insects and decorate front porches is the geranium.

Geraniums smells strongly of lemon and citronella. There are also ivy geraniums which contain a substance that serves as a natural insecticide and repellent, so it keeps mosquitoes away.

Citronella This is probably one of the best-known alternatives to repel insects, and it’s used to make candles and oils.

The plant serves as a repellent on its own, but you can use it directly on your skin to further prevent bug bites.

Try crushing some citronella leaves and rubbing them straight on your body. You can also make a concentrated tea to clean your house with, or leave in alcohol for a few days and use it as a spray.

It becomes even more effective when it’s used with two other natural repellents such as catnip and geranium.